Cost Per Patient Acquisition by Medical Specialty (2026 Benchmarks)
CPA benchmarks across 20+ medical specialties. Know exactly what it costs to acquire a patient in your specialty.
Founder & CEO, Branding Pioneers
Key Data Points
22 data points with sources. Click any stat for context and methodology.
General Dentistry — CPA Range
General dental practices see CPAs of $150-250 for new patients. Emergency dental and cosmetic procedures skew higher at $200-400.
Orthopedic Surgery — CPA Range
Orthopedic surgeons pay $350-600 per new patient acquisition, with joint replacement leads averaging $500+.
IVF / Fertility — CPA Range
IVF and fertility clinics have among the highest CPAs at $800-1,500 per qualified lead, reflecting the high patient lifetime value ($15,000-30,000+ per cycle).
Cosmetic / Plastic Surgery — CPA Range
Cosmetic surgery CPAs range from $500 for non-surgical treatments to $1,200+ for surgical procedures like rhinoplasty and breast augmentation.
Dermatology — CPA Range
Dermatology practices see CPAs of $200-400, with medical dermatology on the lower end and cosmetic dermatology closer to $350-500.
Cardiology — CPA Range
Cardiology CPAs range from $300-700, with interventional cardiology leads commanding $500-800+ due to procedure complexity.
Ophthalmology / LASIK — CPA Range
LASIK and ophthalmology practices see CPAs of $250-500, with refractive surgery leads at the higher end of the range.
Primary Care / Family Medicine — CPA Range
Primary care practices have relatively lower CPAs of $150-350, benefiting from high-volume, lower-competition keywords.
Oncology — CPA Range
Oncology patient acquisition costs $400-800 per lead. Most oncology patients come through referrals (65%) vs. direct search (35%).
Pediatrics — CPA Range
Pediatric practices see CPAs of $200-450, with parents being the primary decision-makers and typically searching during urgent care needs.
Neurology — CPA Range
Neurology CPAs range from $300-600, with headache/migraine patients on the lower end and neurosurgery leads reaching $700+.
ENT (Otolaryngology) — CPA Range
ENT practices pay $250-500 per new patient, with sinus surgery and sleep apnea patients at the higher end.
Urgent Care — CPA Range
Urgent care centers have CPAs of $180-400, benefiting from high-intent, location-based searches with strong conversion rates.
Mental Health / Psychiatry — CPA Range
Mental health practice CPAs are $200-450, with therapy patients lower ($150-300) and psychiatry higher ($300-500).
Bariatric Surgery — CPA Range
Bariatric surgery CPAs range from $350-700, with a long nurture cycle averaging 3-6 months from first inquiry to consultation.
Gastroenterology — CPA Range
GI practices see CPAs of $250-500, with endoscopy and colonoscopy screening patients being the most cost-effective to acquire.
Physical Therapy — CPA Range
Physical therapy CPAs are among the lowest at $150-350, driven by high-volume keywords and strong local search presence.
Hair Transplant — CPA Range
Hair transplant CPAs run $600-1,200, reflecting intense competition and high patient lifetime values ($5,000-15,000 per procedure).
Urology — CPA Range
Urology CPAs range from $400-800, with men's health and ED-related leads on the lower end and complex surgical patients higher.
Spine Surgery — CPA Range
Spine surgery patient acquisition costs $500-1,000, reflecting high competition and significant patient research cycles.
MedSpa / Aesthetics — CPA Range
MedSpa CPAs range $300-600, with Botox/filler patients at the low end ($150-300) and body contouring at $400-700.
Chiropractic — CPA Range
Chiropractic CPAs are $200-400, with new patient specials and local SEO being the most effective acquisition channels.
Cite This Data
You are welcome to reference and cite this data in your articles, presentations, and reports. Please include a link back to this page.
Branding Pioneers. "Cost Per Patient Acquisition by Medical Specialty (2026 Benchmarks)." Branding Pioneers Data & Research, March 1, 2026. https://brandingpioneers.com/data/cost-per-patient-acquisition-by-specialty
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